Key takeaways
- China's laser cleaning makers cluster in Jinan (Senfeng, LXSHOW, STYLECNC), Shenzhen (Han's Laser, Fortune Laser) and Wuhan (HGTECH, next to source maker Raycus). Han's Laser and HGTECH are listed in Shenzhen.
- Most Chinese ranges run from about 50 W to 1000 W pulsed and 1500 W to 3000 W continuous-wave (CW). STYLECNC, SFX and Fortune Laser list CW units up to 6000 W.
- The pulsed source sets the price and the result. One US seller lists a 300 W pulsed cleaner at about $36 per watt and a 1500 W CW cleaner at about $5.50 per watt. Ask for the source brand, model and pulse energy in writing.
- Western systems cost several times more: in October 2026 a German 30–50 W battery backpack cleaner listed from €22,500 and a US maker's 1000 W CW handheld at $135,000, against $5,100 ex-works China for a 1000 W CW cleaner.
- Western makers focus on pulsed and automated cleaning: cleanLASER (owned by IPG since December 2024), P-Laser and Laserax build gantry systems, inline units and enclosed robot cells.
- We do not represent the makers in the tables. Our partner Maxwave builds handheld cleaners in Wuhan, pulsed 20–350 W and CW 500–3000 W; for in-line cells or aerospace work, a larger or Western maker can fit better.
The makers at a glance
Facts as published by the companies, their filings or the press, checked in October 2026. Power ranges are those we could verify on each maker’s own pages; several sell more. We do not represent these makers, and none of them paid to be listed. Many of the “top 10” lists that rank for these searches are written by machine sellers that include themselves, such as the list published by DP Laser. Read them as marketing.
| Maker | Base | Founded | Listed | Cleaning power (verified) | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Han’s Laser | Shenzhen | 1996 | Shenzhen 002008 | 100–1000 W, handheld or robot-mounted (pulse mode not stated) | China’s largest laser equipment group; water-cooled systems with a 10–100 mm cleaning width |
| HGTECH (HGLaser) | Wuhan | 1999 | Shenzhen 000988 | Pulsed 100–1000 W (LSF series), plus a high-power line | Builds a robot that cleans tire molds inside the press; says one mold takes as little as 45 minutes |
| Senfeng | Jinan | 2004 | Not yet (Beijing Stock Exchange review passed August 2026) | Pulsed 50–1000 W; CW 1500–3000 W | Both types also come robot-mounted; subsidiaries in Germany, the UAE and the US |
| LXSHOW | Jinan | 2004 | No | Pulsed 50–1000 W; CW 1500–3000 W | Lists a 2-year warranty and offers IPG, Raycus, Max or JPT sources |
| STYLECNC | Jinan | 2003 | No | Pulsed 100–300 W; CW 1500–6000 W | Publishes list prices by model and power, updated September 2026 |
| SFX Laser | Luoyang | 2004 | No | Pulsed 300–500 W; CW 1500–6000 W | Sells from US stock at listed prices; 1 year on the machine, 2 years on the source |
| Fortune Laser | Shenzhen | 2016 | No | Pulsed 200–500 W; CW 1500–6000 W | Says it has exported to more than 120 countries and regions |
Most sit in Jinan (Senfeng, LXSHOW, STYLECNC), Shenzhen (Han’s Laser, Fortune Laser, and source makers JPT and Max) or Wuhan (HGTECH and source maker Raycus; see who’s who in Optics Valley).
Which industrial laser cleaning machine makers are there outside China?
The Western makers below build mostly pulsed systems and automated cells, and they price accordingly. Our guide to Chinese vs Western laser machines covers what the price gap pays for.
| Maker | Base | Owner or listing | Cleaning range (verified) | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| cleanLASER (Clean-Lasersysteme) | Herzogenrath, Germany; founded 1997 | Owned by IPG Photonics since December 2024 | 30–50 W battery backpack up to high-power gantry systems | About 2,000 systems installed; the backpackLASER lists from €22,500 |
| IPG Photonics | Marlborough, Massachusetts; founded 1990 | Nasdaq IPGP | LightWELD handheld welding and cleaning; LaserCell automated cleaning cells | Also makes the pulsed and CW sources used by others |
| P-Laser | Heusden-Zolder, Belgium | Independent | Pulsed 50–3000 W: portable, trolley and rack-mounted inline units | Publishes rental rates, from €550 a day for a 100 W-class unit |
| Laserax | Quebec, Canada; founded 2010 | Took a majority stake in Germany’s SLCR Lasertechnik in September 2026 | Fiber lasers from 20 W to 3 kW (LXQ series) | Robot cells in a Class 1 enclosure for automotive, EV and battery lines |
| Laser Photonics | Lake Mary, Florida | Nasdaq LASE | CleanTech handheld systems; a 1000 W continuous unit lists at $135,000 | Says it designs and assembles in Florida; its 2025 annual report says it buys components from vendors worldwide. 2025 sales: $8.3 million |
Pulsed or continuous: which laser cleaning equipment do you need?
The two kinds of laser cleaning equipment do different jobs. This is the short version of our pulsed vs continuous guide.
| Pulsed | Continuous wave (CW) | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical cleaning power | 20–500 W; some makers go to 1000 W or more | 1000–3000 W; several Chinese makers list 6000 W |
| Removes well | Thin paint, oxide, oil, mold residue, weld discoloration | Heavy rust and paint on thick steel |
| Effect on the surface | Little; texture and color stay close to the original | Can melt and darken it; about 1.5 times the original roughness in a 2021 test |
| Cost per watt | High | Low |
| Typical buyer | Mold shops, aluminum and stainless work, weld preparation | Steel structures, ships, tanks, heavy maintenance |
If you are still deciding whether to laser-clean at all, compare it with sandblasting and dry-ice blasting.
Whose laser source is inside?
The source is the costliest part of a cleaner, and in a pulsed unit it decides both the price and the result. SFX lists a 300 W pulsed cleaner at $10,899 and a 1500 W CW cleaner at $8,299: about $36 against $5.50 per watt. Most Chinese makers buy sources from a few suppliers, and some let you choose.
| Source maker | Base | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Raycus | Wuhan; Shenzhen ChiNext 300747 | Pulsed sources for cleaning from 200 W to 2000 W, plus CW sources. CN¥3.47 bn revenue and about 186,000 lasers shipped in 2025 |
| JPT | Shenzhen; Shanghai STAR 688025 | MOPA pulsed sources built for cleaning, such as an air-cooled 500 W unit with 30–500 ns pulses |
| Max Photonics | Shenzhen; founded 2004 | Q-switched and MOPA pulsed sources and CW sources; SFX names Max as the source in its CW cleaners |
| IPG Photonics | Marlborough, Massachusetts | Pulsed and CW sources; a standard 3-year warranty on its fiber lasers |
Average power alone does not describe a pulsed source. JPT’s 500 W cleaning source comes in versions from 1.5 mJ to 50 mJ per pulse, and pulse energy changes what a pass removes and how much heat reaches the part. Get the brand, model and pulse energy in writing, and ask who honors the source warranty.
What separates an industrial laser cleaning machine from a cheap one?
The source matters most, but it is not the only difference.
- Cooling. Small pulsed units are air-cooled and light. Kilowatt-class units usually need a water chiller; check its brand and rating for your climate.
- The head and the fiber. Head weight, scan width and fiber length decide how long one operator can work and how far from the cabinet. HGTECH’s 100 W backpack weighs 8.5 kg with a 0.75 kg head; SFX offers 10–30 m cables on its CW units.
- Automation. An industrial cell adds a robot, part handling, fume extraction and a Class 1 enclosure, so operators need no eyewear. Han’s Laser, HGTECH and Senfeng sell robot-mounted versions; ask whether the enclosure, extraction and interlocks are included.
- Warranty. Terms seen in October 2026: 2 years (LXSHOW); 1 year on the machine and 2 on the source (SFX), with consumables such as the protective lens excluded.
- Price. October 2026 list prices ran from $5,100 ex-works Wuhan (Maxwave, 1000 W CW) and $8,299 delivered from US stock (SFX, 1500 W CW) to €22,500 for cleanLASER’s 30–50 W backpack and $135,000 for Laser Photonics’ 1000 W CW handheld. See our laser cleaning machine price guide.
Which maker fits which buyer
A first shortlist drawn only from the tables above, not a ranking. Confirm the exact model, source and warranty with each maker.
| If you need | Look first at | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A supplier with published, audited accounts | Han’s Laser, HGTECH | Listed in Shenzhen; Senfeng has passed its Beijing review but is not yet listed |
| Pulsed and CW from one maker, handheld or on a robot | Senfeng | Pulsed 50–1000 W and CW 1500–3000 W, both also robot-mounted |
| CW above 3000 W | STYLECNC, SFX, Fortune Laser | All list 6000 W units |
| A machine already in the US at a listed price | SFX | Ships from US stock |
| Tire-mold cleaning in the press | HGTECH | Purpose-built robot cleaner |
| An enclosed automated cell for a production line | Laserax, cleanLASER, P-Laser | Class 1 robot cells, gantry systems and rack-mounted inline units |
| Aerospace, medical or other regulated work | cleanLASER (IPG) | Lists aerospace and medical among its markets; about 2,000 systems installed |
| To rent before you buy | P-Laser | Publishes day, week and month rates |
| Several factory visits in one trip | Jinan (Senfeng, LXSHOW, STYLECNC) or Wuhan (HGTECH, Raycus, Maxwave) | Makers close together |
How to choose between them
- Start from the part and the coating. Base material, coating, thickness and square meters per shift. That decides pulsed or CW, and the power.
- Get the source in writing. Brand, model and average power, and for pulsed units the pulse energy and pulse width.
- Send the same sample to two or three makers. Ask for video, the settings used, and photos of the surface before and after.
- Compare warranty terms in writing, including what counts as a consumable and who pays to ship a replacement source.
- Check who you are buying from. A web shop named after a source brand may not be that company: one “JPT” laser shop states in its footer that it is not affiliated with Shenzhen JPT. Check the business license and pay only a company account in the contract’s name. Our verification guide shows how.
- Check safety and compliance. Handheld cleaners are Class 4 lasers: the direct or reflected beam is an immediate eye and skin hazard. For the US, ask for the FDA product report accession number and check that the maker is not on FDA import alert 95-04. For the EU, ask for the Declaration of Conformity for your exact model; the Machinery Regulation 2023/1230 applies from 20 January 2027. Budget for eyewear, a controlled area and fume extraction (safety guide).
Where ZeroLine fits
We are the international partner of Maxwave Laser in Wuhan, a mid-sized maker founded in 2009 that started with jewelry laser welders. Its cleaners are handheld and mobile: the pulsed MW-C series, 50–350 W; backpack units of 20–50 W and 50–100 W; a carry-case unit and a 100 W trolley; CW cleaners at 500 and 1000 W and 1500–3000 W; and a 1500 W 4-in-1 machine that welds, cuts and cleans. Its 100 W pulsed rust remover uses a JPT source. Indicative ex-works Wuhan prices in October 2026 start at $5,100 for 1000 W CW and $6,500 for 100 W pulsed; the written quotation binds. Maxwave gives a 2-year whole-machine warranty.
Maxwave fits maintenance teams, mold shops and fabricators that need a handheld cleaner. It is not the right supplier for an enclosed in-line cell, or for aerospace work where your customer expects a validated process and a supplier with a record in that sector. There we would point you to a larger Chinese maker or to cleanLASER, P-Laser or Laserax. For other machines we match you to other audited factories, as we do for fiber laser cutters. Before you order, send a part and we clean it in Wuhan.